TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC NEWS * WORLDWIDE

Briefing Weekly News

(Image from resources0.news.com.au: Grimsvotn)

* UPS forms green alliance with Live Nation Entertainment

- UPS and Live Nation Entertainment, which includes Ticketmaster, have formed a multi-year sponsorship alliance aimed at helping recording artists committed to reducing the environmental impact of their concert tours. Read full news here

* Sinotrans to acquire 35.3% of InterBulk

- Sinotrans HKL has conditionally agreed to subscribe for 165 million Placing Shares of InterBulk at a total cost of approximately £18.15 million. Read full news here

* Continental Tyre selects Kuehne + Nagel in South Africa

- Kuehne + Nagel has taken over the management of the plant warehouse operation for Continental Tyre SA at its production premises in Port Elizabeth. Read full news here

* Europe’s response to Grimsvotn

_ The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is encouraged by the improved coordination of European authorities thus far in managing its airspace in light of the Grimsvotn volcanic eruption. Read full news here

* Hanjin receives second VLOC

- Hanjin Shipping has received its second Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) - the 300,000 ton "Hanjin Brazil". Read full news here

* Unions to demonstrate at DHL’s AGM tomorrow

- Trade union representatives meeting in Frankfurt as part of a mission to hold the big five worldwide logistics companies to account will rally at DHL's annual general meeting in the city tomorrow, 25th May. Read full news here

* GT Nexus sues INTTRA

- GT Nexus has filed a complaint in US District Court in San Jose, California, claiming its rival INTTRA is threatening to sue over alleged infringment of INTTRA patents. Read full news here

* DHL launches Mongolia – China door-to-door service

- DHL has launched a new rail service - the Genghis Khan Connection - a scheduled tri-weekly cross-border rail solution available during the high season from April to October linking Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by rail to Tianjin, China and out to the rest of the world. Read full news here

* Leisure Cargo awards UK & Ireland contract to WFS

- Leisure Cargo, which provides total cargo management on a worldwide basis for nineteen airlines, has signed a contract with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) for cargo handling in the UK and Ireland. Read full news here

* Nightfreight expands in South Wales

- Nightfreight has expanded its national network of depots with a new location in Llanelli Gate, South Wales. Read full news here

* Grimsvotn eruption shuts down Iceland’s airspace

- Keflavik International Airport was closed to all air traffic on Sunday following the eruption of the Grimsvotn volcano on Saturday, and a 120-mile radius no-fly zone was imposed. Read full news here

* Nippon Express USA opens Chicago facility

- Nippon Express USA has completed construction of its new Chicago Logistics Centre East (CLC East), which, in combination with the adjacent CLC West, will be run as the Chicago Logistics Centre complex. Read full news here

* Oman Air Cargo launches pan-GCC trucking services

- Oman Air Cargo will begin pan-GCC Custom Bonded Truck services connecting Muscat with Salalah and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on June 1st. Read full news here

* Maersk launches sustainable container floor

- Maersk Line has announced a new policy to refrain from purchasing containers with floors made of uncertified tropical hardwood. Read full news here

* Lufthansa confirms order for five B777 Freighters

- Lufthansa Cargo has finalised an order for five Boeing 777 Freighters, valued at $1.35 billion based on Boeing list prices. Read full news here

* FedEx launches suite of healthcare solutions in EMEA

- FedEx Express has launched a portfolio of temperature-sensitive solutions for the healthcare industry across Europe, the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa (EMEA). Read full news here

* NOL invests in terminal at Port of Qingdao

- NOL Group has announced a joint venture to operate a two-berth container terminal at the Port of Qingdao. Scheduled to open in the second half of 2011 the terminal will be NOL's first in mainland China. Read full news here

* Wincanton-Dairy Crest partnership set to slash carbon emissions

- A partnership between Wincanton and Dairy Crest is set to deliver carbon emission reductions of up to 1,100 tonnes. Read full news here

* BEARPAW awards contract to Kuehne + Nagel

- Kuehne + Nagel has been awarded a contract to provide integrated logistics services for California-based BEARPAW Footwear - including international transportation, customs brokerage and US distribution operations. Read full news here

* Evergreen orders another ten 8,000 TEU ships

- The Evergreen Group has signed a contract with China Shipbuilding Corp for ten environmentally advanced 8,000-TEU container vessels. Read full news here

* EU Commission investigates container shipping lines

- OOCL has confirmed that the European Commission and UK Office Fair Trading Office carried out an inspection at its UK office on May 17th in an effort to ascertain whether there is any evidence of infringement of European competition law related to liner shipping transport services. Read full news here

* GEFCO acquires 70% stake in Gruppo Mercurio

- Following a memorandum of understanding on April 5th and approval of the relevant competition authorities on May 9th, the GEFCO group has finalised its acquisition of a 70% stake in Gruppo Mercurio. Read full news here

* Safmarine’s Reefer Express returns

- The seasonal SAECS Reefer Express (REX) service, which was first launched three years ago to provide extra capacity during the South African peak fruit season, is back for the 2011 season. Read full news here

* CEVA moves cross-dock operations nearer to Mexican border

- CEVA Logistics has relocated its cross-dock operations to a new facility in Otay Mesa, California, near the Mexican border. Read full news here

* Recently awarded contracts

- Muntons awards five-year contract to DHL; WFS wins new handling contracts in Barcelona and Amsterdam. Read full news here